Improvement in fruit-boxes



yUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FRUIT-BOXES.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 54,6 [4, dated May 8, 1566.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMES SHEPARD and B. B. LEWIS, of Bristol, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut,have invented a new and ImprovedBox for Fruit and other Articles; and we do hereby declare that the followingis a clear and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of our invention, showing the top and sides. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofour invention, showing the bottom Iand sides. Fg.3 is a plan or top view ot' oui` invention and the veneer from which it is cut. Fig. 4 is a view of our invention, showing the manner in which the sides are formed. Fig. 5 s a view of our invention, showing the manner in which the bottom is formed. Fig. 6 represents a metallic clasp or fastening.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts.

Our invention consists of the use or employment of only one piece of veneer or thin wood for making both sides and bottom ot' a box.

a designates a finished blank. b designates an unfinished blank. These show that there is no waste of the veneer in cutting out the blanks.

The broken lines indicate where the veneer is cut or creased to insure a bend at those lines. The wood-colored marks or shadings designate the grain of the wood. We cut the blanks obliquely with the described grain.

The cuts or creases (represented by broken lilies) run parallel and at right angles with the blank, therefore obliquely with the grain of the veneer, by which means each bend can be made without splitting the veneer.

The small circles or rings designate holes made in the veneer, which are, part of them, for ventilation, and part of them to receive the fastenings for holding the box together.

The red lines in Fig. 4 designate the shape of the blank before the box is formed and in the process of forming the sides of the box.

1 2 3 4c 5 designate each side or part of aside. 11 21 31 41 designate each quarter of the bottom. When each quarter is bent in its place, as two quarters, 31 and 11, are in Fig. 5, the box is formed. It is then secured or fastened together by inserting the metallic clasp or fastening represented in Fig. 6 into the holes made to receive thesame, andthe ends clinched npon the inside in any suitable manner.

These boxes can be varied in shape without materially altering the shape of the blank. For instance, by leaving eight points on the blank and cutting or creasing the blank for bendin g the sides in eight places, an Octagonshaped box would be formed, while the shape of the blank would be substantially the same.

Byonr improvement we are enabled to make a box of a single piece, thus securing the correct formation ofthe box by the fruit-grower. We are also enabled to cnt these boxes from a long strip ot' veneer of the necessary Width without waste of stock.

By cutting pastebard into blanks of the described shape from a long piece or roll of paper a great saving of stock might be made in the manufacture of paper boxes.

Our box, being ofonly one piece, can be made and finished by a single machine, and consoquently sold at a low price. It has equal advantages with others in heilig shipped before it is formed.

` lW'e do not claim transporting the box before it is formed, neither do we claim the metallic clasp or fastening; but

What we do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Cutting the blank for a box obliqnely with `the grain of thin wood or a veneer, substantially as and for lthe purpose herein specified.

JAMES SHEPABD. B. B. LEWIS.

Witnesses Grans Gnarls, WM. G. GUR'rIss. 

